2016 VVCAL Reboot
Published on July 15, 2023

2016 VVCAL Reboot: Week 9 Instructions

written by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 9 of the 2016 VVCVAL Reboot! I’m so glad you’re here!

Quick Links to Each Week

What to Expect Today

  • This week’s with instructions for each blanket version (this post)
  • Patterns include written instructions in US and UK Terms, chart, step-by-step photos, and YouTube video (US Terms). Videos release by Wednesday of the CAL week.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Optional Extra Round

Optionally, you can add a round of (US) double crochet stitch which has the following advantages:

  • Make your squares larger, increasing the overall size of your blanket
  • Use more of your stash for stash-busting
  • Make a collection of random color squares a bit more cohesive

There are infinite possibilities for color combinations, but I have the following examples for this DC round.

Contrast Color

Add a contrast color round for added opulence. In this example, I used the same colors that I used for the squares, but I used a different contrast color for each square.

Here is another view after joining:

I used contrast color borders in the following example as well, but these colors are a bit more subdued.

In the following sample, I used the same color for each DC round, but I was using recycled yarn from thrifted sweaters, so the yarn color was a bit ombre.

Here is the pattern for the DC Round:

US Terms

Ss in any corner sc, beg dc in same st, (4dc in same st, 21dc, 1dc in corner st) 4 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [104 dc]

UK Terms

Ss in any corner dc, beg tr in same st, (4tr in same st, 21tr, 1tr in corner st) 4 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr, cut yarn and weave ends. [104 tr]

Omitting the DC Round

Of course, you don’t have to add the DC round! You can just join your squares exactly as they are.

–

–

Now let’s go over some joining methods!

Joining Method Options

In this section, I will show you the original joining method, as well as some fresh options that I have used for other VVCAL Blankets over the years. Don’t worry, you can use any type of join, wide or narrow, as the border of this blanket is written to fit any size blanket.

  • Whip Stitch Join
  • Single Crochet with PLT Join
  • Continuous Single Crochet with PLT Join
  • Row by Row Join As-You-Go (AKA The Boomerang Join)

Of course, you can use any joining method you prefer! These are just suggestions. For more options and videos, you can check out my YouTube channel playlist with my joining methods with videos.

And here is the link to more joining methods here on my website. There are a lot to choose from! To avoid overwhelm, I only discuss four methods in this post. Let’s get to it!

Whip Stitch Join

This is the original joining method used in the 2016 VVCAL. Whip stitch squares together, first along all horizontal rows, then rotate piece and whip stitch all vertical rows.

Perform whip st as follows: stitch through both lps of both squares, holding them with wrong sides together. Do not yank yarn to “cinch” joining seam closed. Rather, allow the whip stitches to lie snug and flush along the top edge of the seam, so that when opened flat, small and neat whip sts can be seen.

This method is perfect if you don’t have a lot of yarn to join with, as it doesn’t take much yarn. It is also great if you don’t want to add any extra width to your piece.

If you would rather add a bit of width to your squares, but still don’t want to use a ton of yarn for joining, you can check out a single crochet join.

Single Crochet with PLT Join

This is a regular join as you go, in which you join as you complete an extra single crochet round. You can find the complete instructions by clicking here!

Squares are joined in rows from left to right, top to bottom.

This join requires the yarn to be cut after every square, and then yarn ends woven in. This join, and the following join were used for the 2020 VVCAL.

If you are familiar with continuous joins, want to weave only 2 ends after joining, or are up for a fun challenge, then you can use the continuous SC with PLT Join below. Don’t worry, once you get the hang of this next join, it will “click” and you will be flying through it!

Continuous Single Crochet with PLT Join

Continuous joins are great if you want to work a bit faster, because instead of having a stopping point after every square, you can treat finishing a whole row as a stopping point, and for me that is a faster making process.

You can find complete instructions by clicking here!

–

The next join is a double crochet join, and it is rather unique! I do have a video for it as well.

Row by Row Join As-You-Go (AKA The Boomerang Join)

I really love this join, which combines the fun of working across entire rows with the simplicity of a dc join.

Click here for this pattern blog post.

Enjoy joining your squares! Next week, we will work on the border!

Important Notes – Please Read

Remember, the versions below are made from color packs, but you can use any yarn you want! Stash yarn with full balls – whatever yarn you like. You can follow the color pack that most closely matches the yarn weight you want to use. I just like to make sure that the squares can be made with the packs because it’s a fun way to use them.

The first Plain Granny Square that you make will be the square that you use to make sure you get gauge with all of the other squares. Keep that first plain granny square handy so that you can match all of the other squares up to it for the duration of the CAL.

I’m not giving certain colors to use for each square, because the layout is more based on color than square pattern. I like to keep the square design layout completely random. My only advice may be to choose different hues for making multiple of the same square, especially if you are using a rainbow color-fade, if you would rather have identical square designs spread out in the blanket, and not next to each other.

Side note: I find it much more relaxing to just pull colors at random to make my squares, and not have to hunt down each color number as I go. Crochet is meant to de-stress you, not re-stress you!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2016 VVCAL Reboot!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

You may also enjoy:

Support My Work

You’re supporting by just being here! You can read my blog (Start Here!), like and comment on socials, and message me for a chat. All of this supports my work free of charge!

  • Affiliate links – Shopping through my links supports me at no additional cost to you as I get a small commission through my affiliates. Jimmy Beans Wool // WoolWarehouse // Amazon.com
  • Buy my pattern book – I wrote a super neat crochet blanket pattern book, published under Penguin Random House. You can buy it here!
  • Browse my self-published patterns – I have over a hundred patterns on Etsy and Ravelry
  • Creative Art Blanket Course – Check it out on Teachable

Where to Find Me

Most Popular Free Crochet Patterns